Utah Jazz owner Gail Miller addressed the crowd before Thursday’s game to underscore the team’s willingness to enforce the NBA’s Code of Conduct following Monday’s incident involving Russell Westbrook and a fan who crossed the line.www.espn.com – NBA

Among the most memorable events of last week’s XBIZ Retreat was the 2019 XBIZ Exec Awards, which for the adult retail industry have become more like a beloved annual family gathering.XBIZ.com – Pleasure & Retail

Faherty is in the giving spirit this holiday season.
The New York-based casualwear brand has created a new women’s collection, the Rainbow capsule, and will donate 10 percent of sales to The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth.
The collection, which will be available starting Monday, consists of a sweater poncho for $ 269, a pom beanie for $ 78 and a cotton-acrylic scarf for $ 118.
To promote the initiative, Faherty will team with Brooklyn-based fashion blogger Allison Graham of “She Does Him,” who will produce and share a campaign featuring the Rainbow capsule with more than 27,000 of her followers.

“When we designed the Rainbow Sweater Poncho and matching beanie and scarf for our holiday collection, its bright colors and cozy softness evoked in us the warm and fuzzy feeling of the holidays,” said Faherty president Kerry Faherty. “But we also know the holidays can bring up feelings of sadness and loneliness for many. We reached out to The Trevor Project to set up a partnership and donate a portion of our Rainbow Collection sales to the organization. We’re deeply inspired by and grateful for the organization’s incredible efforts in the LGBTQ community and we’re honored to support them during

Kendall Jenner has another scary stalker, and it’s gotta be enraging to her because security at her multi-million dollar exclusive gated community left a gaping hole for the guy to enter. 37-year-old John Ford was arrested early last month for breaking…

I fund my Periscopes and podcasts via audience micro-donations on Patreon. I prefer this method over accepting advertisements or working for a “boss” somewhere because it keeps my voice independent. No one owns me, and that is rare. I’m trying in my own way to make the world a better place, and your contributions help me stay inspired to do that.

Thursday’s opening of the Adidas Originals flagship in Chicago will be the largest in the world, and the seventh one in the U.S.
With nearly 5,000 square feet of shoppable space, the 10,000-square-foot store at 1532 North Milwaukee Avenue is taking a hyper-local approach. In the never-ending chase to bridge the online community with the in-store experience, the company is playing up the city’s heritage through design accents. A fitting room reflects the materials and route of the L train, with walls wrapped with ribbed brush steel reminiscent of the elevated line’s cars. There is also a bench that is modeled after the ones found in all CTA stations.
The city’s transit system was also the inspiration for custom signs displayed throughout the store, which are similar to the ones displayed on the L train line and in its stations. The Adidas versions direct shoppers to silhouettes from the brand’s past, highlighting the year each model made its debut and other information. Wednesday night’s opening party, featured performances from BJ The Chicago Kid, Knox Fortune and DJ ELZ. The site is near two other streetwear and sneaker stores, RSVP Gallery and Saint Alfred.
A Community Wall will highlight local events, concerts and releases

Charlamagne tha God is catching major heat from the transgender community after a guest on his radio show joked about killing transgender women — and the backlash started during his appearance at Politicon. #Transgender community @Politicon telling…

Kanye West completed his community service in his paparazzi battery case, and he got a glowing report card. Kanye’s lawyer, Blair Berk, was in court Tuesday morning, where his LAX battery case wrapped up. Berk presented a letter from the Dean at Los…

Kim Richards will NOT do jail time for her drunken antics at the Beverly Hills Hotel, but she didn’t get the community service she was after. Her case was plea bargained and the judge just sentenced her to 30 days community labor. This is not office…

If you’re going to make a movie about queer people, you’re likely going to get a divisive response. Does it reinforce negative stereotypes? Does it provide an accurate cross-section of the diverse LGBT community? How many think pieces will it incite? In this regular column, we’ll look at depictions of queers in cinema and ask, Was It Good For The Gays? Here, we examine Stephen Daldry’s Oscar-winning drama, The Hours.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

(AllHipHop News) Members of the LGBT community were upset with Travis Scott over video of the Texas rapper using the words “faggots” and “queers” at one of his concerts. Scott took to Twitter to apologize to anyone he may have offended.

There’s a fiction that we all want to be doing our own thing, burrowing down into holes of our own device, satiated with a world only we control. But the truth is we want to feel part of humanity — we want to belong — and the further we get away from the rest ofNews, reviews, interviews and more for top artists and albums – MSN Music
ADULT ENTERTAINMENT NEWS UPDATE:Gabby Love’s top pick! Click and enjoy!

BOGOTA, Colombia (RNS) When Azahy Ali Triana de la Pena began transitioning from man to woman in 2012, one of her fears was how, or even if, she would be accepted in the Roman Catholic Church.

The devout Catholic, who now works at an LGBT center in Bogota, also worried about whether she would be a man or woman in the afterlife.

“I needed this benediction with my name and this body,” Triana de la Pena, 32, recalled. So she sought spiritual guidance from her priest.

“We are all equal in heaven,” he assured her. “There is no gender in heaven. It’s all souls.”

Not long ago, the thought of a transgender person speaking openly to a Roman Catholic priest in Colombia would have seemed unthinkable. Now cultural shifts are making way for LGBT acceptance, at least in some urban areas.

Recent polls estimate that two-thirds of Colombians oppose same-sex marriage, but that is less opposition than in many Latin American countries, including neighboring Ecuador. Support for same-sex marriage is highest in Bogota, the nation’s capital, where, in a 2010 poll conducted by local newspaper El Tiempo, 63 percent of residents endorsed the right of same-sex couples to marry in civil ceremonies.

Gay rights advocates in Bogota say that number would be even higher today in the city of about 8 million, known for its burgeoning gay culture and nightlife. But it’s not just Bogota.

Support for LGBT rights is spreading across the country. Manizales, a medium-sized city in Colombia’s more conservative “coffee country,” recently hosted a gay pride parade with little controversy.

To Sanchez and other gay rights advocates, these changes are welcome. Many say they stem from young people knowing more “out” family members, friends, classmates and colleagues, and perhaps from Pope Francis’ more moderate tone on LGBT acceptance. An estimated 80 percent of Colombians are Catholic.

“Now people can’t say anything publicly against LGBT people without a reaction,” Sanchez said, citing strong criticism on social media when a conservative political figure recently made derogatory remarks about one of Colombia’s two lesbian government ministers.

Despite some change, activists say the struggle continues. A recent study by Bogota’s municipal government found that 54 percent of LGBT residents say they have experienced discrimination. That number jumps to 73 percent among transgender people.

Jaime Ricardo Cadavid, the coordinator of a gay community center in Bogota, said that the sight of two men kissing or holding hands in public is still more likely to upset public sentiments than the “normalized violence” often depicted in films.

“The love is forbidden here, but the violence isn’t,” he said of Colombia, which has been plagued by internal armed conflict for decades. “The LGBT movement has an opportunity to show our society that we can build a better society when we respect diversity.”

Colombia has permitted civil unions for heterosexual and homosexual couples since 2007. Since 2013, some municipal judges have granted civil marriages to about 100 same-sex couples.

Colombia’s highest court is expected to rule on whether same-sex marriage is a constitutional right later this year. Advocates such as Sanchez hope the court follows the U.S. Supreme Court in permitting marriage rights for all couples.

Though some leaders of the Catholic order Opus Dei have publicly opposed efforts to legalize same-sex marriage, Colombia’s Catholic hierarchy has been quieter on the matter. Opposition has been more vocal and robust among the nation’s evangelical Christian community.

The Evangelical Confederation of Colombia filed a brief before the Constitutional Court saying that homosexuality is a choice and that the court’s nine members should not “fall into judicial activism” by issuing a decision for the country’s 48 million people that does not honor the beliefs of “the moral majority of Colombians.”

Despite such opposition, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has voiced support for the legalization of same-sex marriage, which pleases Sen. Armando Beneditti, a prominent human rights activist in the country.

For Beneditti, the issue facing the court is not religious but rather what is fair and constitutional. “Starting from the principle that humans have rights, how can we think that in Colombia a sector of society cannot have the same legal rights as others?” Beneditti told Colombian journalist Juan Carlos Davila Valencia in a recent interview.

Benedetti said he has developed his stance on the issue by “listening to the testimonies of LGBT people as mistreated and discriminated against.” He said there was no reason why, in the 21st century, rights should be “violated and rejected, by a sort of modern inquisition.”

To those in Colombia’s progressive religious community, having allies like Santos and Beneditti is encouraging.

The Rev. Ivan Dario Gutierrez and Monsignor Haiver Esneider Perilla Caballero, both members of the Free Protestant Episcopal Church, an Anglican denomination that is not formally affiliated with the U.S. Episcopal Church, work with poor, homeless and displaced young gay people. They consider their work an integral part of supporting human rights for all.

“It is a vocation of service to everyone,” said the monsignor.

As Ali Triana de la Pena balances the challenges of being a transgender woman and a Roman Catholic in Colombia, Camilo Moreno balances being an openly gay man and beginning the process of converting to Islam.

Brought up Protestant and now working at one of Bogota’s gay community centers, Moreno said he started the “deeply personal process” of converting to Islam three years ago.

He has faced hostility and puzzlement from all sides. Some Muslims reject him for his sexuality while some family members reject him for his newfound faith — and the stereotype that all Muslims are terrorists.

Muslims make up less than 1 percent of Colombia’s population, and such fears have become increasingly common in recent years.

Moreno said he tries to correct stereotypes with earnest talk about Islam’s religious values and significance. He speaks from the heart, and says he must embrace all aspects of his life.

“The truth is, I’m gay,” he said. As someone drawn to Islam, he said he feels the special need “to say the truth in every moment.”

“God has a special form and reality, and he showed me the Muslim way,” Moreno said. “I feel like a Muslim. I have a Muslim soul. I didn’t feel that connection with God when I was a Protestant. I felt bad. Now I feel a connection with the heavens. It’s special, this connection.”

These stories are part of a series on the intersection of faith, ethnicity and sexuality, brought to you with support from the Arcus Foundation.

If you’re going to make a movie about queer people, you’re likely going to get a divisive response. Does it reinforce negative stereotypes? Does it provide an accurate cross-section of the diverse LGBT community? How many think pieces will it incite? In this regular column, we’ll look at depictions of queers in cinema and ask, Was It Good For The Gays? Today we look at Gus Van Sant’s classic entry into the New Queer Cinema movement, My Own Private Idaho.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

The Reddit community was in flux after the administrator of one of the site’s most popular sections was let go on Thursday.

It’s unclear why Victoria Taylor, the administrator of /r/IAMA (Ask Me Anything), was dismissed, but volunteer moderators shut down several other sections of the social sharing site in protest, NPR reports.

You may have noticed that /r/IAmA was recently set to “private” for a short period of time. A full explanation can be found here, but the gist of it is that Victoria was unexpectedly let go from Reddit and the admins did not have a good alternative to help conduct AMAs. As a result, our current system will no longer be feasible.

Chooter (Victoria) was let go as an admin by /u/kn0thing. She was a pillar of the AMA community and responsible for nearly all of reddit’s positive press. She helped not only IAMA grow, but reddit as a whole. reddit’s culture would not be what it is today without Victoria’s efforts over the last several years.

We have taken the day to try to understand how Reddit will seek to replace Victoria, and have unfortunately come to the conclusion that they do not have a plan that we can put our trust in.

Taylor reportedly helped arrange and run thousands of AMAs, Reddit’s version of the Q&A, including with President Barack Obama. She said in a short AMA of her own that she was “dazed” after the firing, but didn’t give any hints as to why it happened.

Thank you to everyone for their good wishes and support. Love you guys.

As a result, several popular subreddits, including /r/IAMA, /r/gaming, /r/history, /r/Art, /r/videos and /r/funny, were temporarily set to private, effectively shutting them down. Most of them appeared to be back up and running by mid-Friday afternoon, and many of them explained that the shutdown was due to Taylor’s dismissal.

In a post early Friday, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian apologized for “how we handled communicating change to the AMA team this morning.” He urged subreddit monitors to make their pages public again:

Your message was received loud and clear. The communication between Reddit and the moderators needs to improve dramatically. We will work closely with you all going forward to ensure events like today don’t happen again. At this point, however, the blackout has served its purpose, and now it’s time to get Reddit functioning again.

What better way to spend the last weekend of pride month than celebrate a hard-won marriage equality victory in one of the LGBTQ rights movement’s most iconic battlegrounds?

The Supreme Court’s ruling on marriage equality ensuring same-sex couples the right to marry was quite an introduction to New York City pride this weekend. After the decision, members and allies of the queer community gathered at the Stonewall Inn, the landmark bar that was home to the infamous 1969 riots between queer patrons and the police — and the place that many point to as the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ Civil Rights movement.

Nearly a half-century later, The Huffington Post headed to Christopher Street on Friday to talk to revelers at The Stonewall Inn, where many shared their reactions to the historic victory.

Couple Ally and Lauren and were thrilled about the court’s ruling. “It’s amazing that in any state, no matter what state, you can be married and love who you love and the government acknowledges that finally,” Lauren said.

The pace of marriage equality had accelerated in recent years, with 37 U.S. states passing legislation ensuring the right of gay couples to marry in the years and months before Friday’s ruling. Dennis, pictured below on the right, told HuffPost he wasn’t sure he’d have the opportunity to celebrate this pivotal moment in his lifetime. “Just five to seven years ago I didn’t think that it would happen so fast — I did not think this would happen in my lifetime,” he said.

“It’s honorable to here on such a momentous occasion,” Patrick, below, second from the left, said as he and his friends celebrated outside of Stonewall. “We were here two years ago when New York passed it, now we’re here and the country’s passing it, and I’m excited to see what the next step is — where we go from here.”

Geff, from the UK, offered an international perspective. “I think that this is sending a signal to other countries around the world globally because people look to America as a source of inspiration,” he said. The Supreme Court’s decision makes the US one of 21 other countries to legalize same-sex marriage.

As the day went on, hundreds visited the Stonewall Inn and shared their celebration of this historic moment in one of the many places we owe it to. See some of their beautiful images below.

Welcome to Mandatory Happiness, where resident advice-giver and Against Me! frontwoman Laura Jane Grace answers some questions from readers. Laura’s doing something a bit different for this week’s column. She interviewed Stephanie McCarthy, a friend, fan, and fellow musician about a recent incident she says she encountered at an Against Me! show in Australia.

You can still email your own questions to Laura. Submit to laurajanegrace@noisey.com and she will answer some on Noisey. All questions are confidential and your name will not be included. Okay, take it away, Laura…

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

The rainbow-colored cake held by the Maytag man alludes, of course, to those bakers who have refused to make wedding cakes for same-sex couples on the grounds that doing so would violate their religious beliefs.

Way to go, Maytag.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Lindsay Lohan just did what nobody thought possible … she completed her community service, but just in the nick of time. We just got word from the prosecutor, Chief Deputy Terry White, who confirmed Lindsay put in nearly 8 hours a day for several weeks…

All you have to do is look down whenever you’re in Flatbush, Brookyn to know Nike is a staple in the hood. But the brand takes things a step further by opening its first community store in the neighborhood.

The new store—who design includes imagery from local photographer Anthony Blasko—opened today (May 28) near the corner of Nostrand and Flatbush Avenues borough claiming by the Notorious B.I.G, Jay Z, Mike Tyson and many more.

The “Community Store” concept aims to empower locals and their community and being deep in Flatbush was as good place as any to set up shop.

“Nike Community Stores are about neighborhood roots and community connection” said Dennis van Oossanen, Vice President of Nike’s North America Direct to Consumer business via a press release. “So when we looked for a location, we wanted a place that was instantly recognizable, that expressed the unique spirit of Flatbush and Brooklyn and that amplified the values of the Nike brand. We think we found the perfect spot.”

The store has already met its target of having 80% of its employees be from the neighborhood. Also, employees will actively participate in community service events and help local non-profit organizations. Already on the schedule are after-school programs, a Zoom League basketball program and the Honor Roll Skate Club middle school students.

Products from Nike running, training, basketball and sportswear—as well BK specific items—will be available for women, men and young athletes in the store.

Check out photos of the Nike Flatbush Community Store below and in the following pages.

(RNS) Is gay marriage a civil right like black equality? Or is it a sin African-Americans should condemn?

That’s the question at the heart of “The New Black,” a documentary by filmmaker Yoruba Richen that examines African-American attitudes toward LGBT people leading up to Maryland’s public referendum on gay marriage in 2012.

The film is now enjoying a new life as part of an initiative to get students at historically black colleges and universities to talk about a longtime taboo in the African-American community — sexual identity and the church.

The initiative is a project of the Human Rights Campaign, an advocate of LGBT equality, and Promised Land Films, the producers of the film. HRC designated $ 4,000 in grants to bring “The New Black” to so-called HBCUs. To date it has been shown at about a half-dozen schools, including Spelman College, Howard University and Tennessee State University. Chris Smith, an outreach coordinator for HRC, said the grant money covers the screenings and follow-up discussions.

“The overarching goal is to create the opportunity to begin a dialogue,” Smith said. “We want them to create greater safety and inclusion on HBCUs” and their communities.

Filmed during the 2012 general election, the documentary features those who work for equality, such as Morgan State alumnus Samantha Master, and those who opposed it, such as the Rev. Derek McCoy, president of the Maryland Family Alliance.

The film also shows how a small group of African-American pastors spoke out in favor of gay rights and were instrumental in passing the Maryland law. Maryland was the first state to approve gay marriage by popular vote, and there are now 37 states that have legalized gay marriage.

This week’s screening at Morgan State was followed by a discussion led by the Rev. Jamie Washington, a Baltimore-based pastor who works for LGBT rights.

Anika Simpson, an associate professor of philosophy, said the film is a good dialogue starter because it humanizes people on both sides of the debate.

“It is one thing when you talk about an issue,” Simpson said. “But when you meet the film’s characters and the people they are in love with, and you see African-American pastors saying we can embrace a same-gender-loving person, it is very powerful so you can open your mind and think a little bit differently than you have.”

The black church has long been uncomfortable with issues around sexuality, said Kelly Brown Douglas, a professor of religion at Goucher College and author of “Sexuality and the Black Church: A Womanist Perspective.”

Douglas ties those attitudes to two narratives she traces to the 1800s. The first is the myth of the “oversexuality” of black people, and the second is a Christian attitude, born of the Great Revival, that anything having to do with the body is sinful.

“So you get this reluctance to speak about issues of sexuality and you get this rigid line about LGBTQ sexuality,” Douglas said. “If it is discussed at all, it is discussed as a sin. That narrative is very strong. In the main it is not a welcoming environment, not just of LGBTQ people but all matters of sexuality.”

But that may be changing, Douglas said, and she credits screenings of films such as “The New Black” and other initiatives in the African-American community with some of the change.

READ: An interview with “The New Black” filmmaker Yoruba Richen (RNS)
But there is still significant opposition to LGBT rights among African-American Christians. A 2013 Pew Forum poll found that only 41 percent of black Protestants supported gay marriage, compared with 60 percent of white Protestants.

The Rev. Bill Owens, president of The Coalition of African American Pastors, said “The New Black” screenings are “just another strategy that they are going to use to convert young people to this lifestyle.” He said CAAP and its 7,000 members would continue to speak out against LGBT equality, especially in churches.

“It is destroying the family,” he said of the push for LGBT rights. “It is against everything the black church has stood for.”

Brian Stewart, a 21-year-old Morgan State senior who is gay and no longer religious, said the film shows that members of the African-American community must bring “their whole selves” to the discussion of LGBT rights.

“We need to make sure religion shows up in the room,” he said after the Morgan State screening. “It is really important to bring that if we want inclusion across the board.”

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

There’s a saying that goes: the older a person gets, the less she or he cares about life’s small worries. For me, I’ve found that this is mostly true. Sure, the obvious things still terrify me like being trampled to death while reaching for a sample in Costco or being ravaged by horrible bees at gay pride, too drunk to escape their stings. Everyone has these fears.

Another thing I’ve stopped worrying about as I get older, is that I’m not worried anymore about getting older. I still take the typical precautions such as working out frequently and rubbing stem cell cream I’ve illegally acquired from South Korea on my smile lines.

I have gray hairs that began to sprout years ago along with a couple of stray hairs on my shoulders and back. Five years ago, I would have nearly died seeing these, but I’ve since stopped caring. In fact, I think that my boyfriend’s salt and pepper hair is sexy, so maybe mine will be, too.

Unfortunately, almost every time I go out in the gayborhood, I experience some form of ageism. Most of it is self-deprecating, like a white-haired man in an Abercrombie polo shirt telling me how tens of thousands of years ago — when he claims that he was born — people didn’t have cellphones. I smile and explain that I, too, recall those days. Wide-eyed, he immediately asks, “Wait, how old are you?”

On the contrary, I have younger friends who called me an “Old Queen” the moment I turned 30. My Facebook feed filled with posts about my expiration date and the stench of my old man body wreaking havoc on Fifth Avenue.

I took these comments in stride that day, as age shouldn’t matter — because it doesn’t. I’ve met imbeciles both youthful and aged and wonderful friends 30-plus years my senior. However, I feel as though today’s culture magnifies our expectations of age. Madonna gets ragged on for kissing men younger than her, while pop singer Lorde gets applause for being a teenager. Guys at the bar scoff when their buddy dates someone 10 years younger than him. They chastise him for “robbing the cradle” and turn cold shoulders to his new boyfriend.

I don’t get it. Why are we placing any eggs in the age basket? Especially since many of us — if we’re lucky — will live into our 80s and 90s. It’s the 21st century, and the only things truly dated about us are our idealisms. It doesn’t matter if we’re brown, black, white, blonde, silver, brunette, gay, straight, bisexual, transgender, cisgender, intersex — you get it. All of our clocks are ticking, and there’s no amount of negative, angst-filled forum rebuffs to this post that will ever stop that.

Honestly, I’m excited about the day that I’ve worked enough years to retire. Why shouldn’t I be? My retired mother has tons of free time to enjoy water aerobics, playing with her grandkids, and watching baby animal videos on Facebook.

If ageism continues as it is, I’ve decided to retire in the lovely heat of Palm Springs where I can safely unsubscribe from society’s ageist pressure. There, I plan to wear denim shorts that reveal my leathery thighs, buy drinks with my government subsidies, and no one around me will give a crap about it. If the pool boy calls me an “Old Queen” as I stare at his tanned body in a tight black Speedo, I’ll smile and say: “Yes, darling, I am an Old Queen and I’m wondering why you aren’t kneeling.”

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Unbeknownst to the world at the time, March 26, 1995 would mark the turning point for Hip-Hop heartbreak, as it marked the day Eric “Eazy-E” Wright passed away from AIDS-related complications at the young age of 31.

His legacy was instantly cemented; he’s renown as the “Godfather of Gangsta Rap” for his instrumental hand in creating the N.W.A. Although his relationship with the group’s members (mainly Ice Cube and Dr. Dre) had soured, his Ruthless Records imprint went on to blossom well past his death with the rise of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and the Black Eye Peas, among others.

This coming August, one side of the infamous N.W.A. star as both Cube and Dre will executive produce F. Gary Gray’s direction for the highly anticipated Straight Outta Compton biopic.

Only time will tell if it does the memory of Eazy-E justice, but the Hip-Hop community sure does miss him and they let be known today.

Scroll through the pages below to Eazy-E’s death be celebrated in life and park it at the end to see Dr. Dre’s new interview with Big Boy.

Lindsay Lohan’s prosecutor must be a fan of The Who … ’cause he just told her, “We Won’t Get Fooled Again” — and introduced a new set of rules for her to complete her community service. Lindsay’s attorney Shawn Holley attended the hearing in L.A.…

I’d like to follow up on my previous blog post on the Mount Holyoke College controversy surrounding The Vagina Monologues because of the responses I’ve received. They’ve run the gamut from praise to condemnation, from thanks for informing the community of an important event in trans history to constructive criticism as well as vicious name calling. Aside from the cliché that if the responses are all over the map, I must be doing something right, the criticisms highlighted some very important points, some of which I had space to make in the first blog post, and some of which I didn’t.

The consensus from my fellow actors was that I got it right, so I’m pleased that my memory jives with that of my friends. I also believe I promoted Eve Ensler’s position correctly, as she quickly published her own response, to which I was able to link (thanks to editing delays due to the King holiday). I will reiterate that my purpose in publishing that post was to inform the public that Eve Ensler is not transphobic, nor has she been transphobic, and I could document that because I was part of the ensemble cast performance of the first all-trans cast. I’ve done that, and now to the rest.

Within hours of publication, I was subjected to a Twitterbombing, being described as racist, ageist, elitist and arrogant, and connecting me to a host of questionable LGBT characters. These ad hominem and association-fallacy attacks, what I have called “manufactured strategic outrage,” are too often the reflexive response of some activists. A famous African-American activist, Flo Kennedy, classified these attacks as “horizontal hostility,” describing members of a community attacking their colleagues, actions which often prove to be self-destructive.

The first rule of politics is “Take nothing personally.” Admittedly that is very hard to do, particularly when running for office, because that is a quintessential personal endeavor in our political system. But it is absolutely essential if you’re going to maintain your sanity and be able to move forward and create change. The foremost tool of incumbents is psychological warfare, and while electoral campaigning is known to generate personal attacks, general political activism is rife with them as well.

I was accused of being ageist because I was critical of college students. I see constructively criticizing college students as a sign of respect and a refusal to be patronizing, and I hope, for their sakes, that their professors do the same. In my world ageism is visible in the discrimination suffered by middle-aged workers who were laid off after the economic crash and have yet to find new work, because younger workers are willing (understandably) to work for much less. Discrimination is most serious when directed at those with less power; college students, particularly those at elite schools such as Mount Holyoke, have a great deal of privilege and should have the tools and support to be able to handle criticism. I don’t believe most want to be coddled.

I was accused of being insensitive to persons of color because I challenged a description of Eve Ensler as racist for using the death of Trayvon Martin as an opportunity to raise money for the feminist cause. I agree that efforts such as that, like the efforts of all non-profits that use tragedy and crisis as fundraising opportunities, including those in the national and local LGBT communities, are crass and disrespectful, which is why I don’t do that in my political work. There are moments when one should just put her causes aside and show her solidarity. But it isn’t racist and shouldn’t be used to burn bridges. This calling me a “racist” was truly stood on its head when I was later accused of being disrespectful to college students because “they decided against performing a rich white lady’s play.” Reducing Eve Ensler (this is a real example of reductionism, unlike the use of “vagina” in the play) to a “rich white lady” is an ad hominem attack and can itself be considered racist. Just imagine how you might feel if someone called Selma a “rich black lady’s film” because Oprah was a producer.

Then there was my reference to Calpernia Addams, who was a co-director of the performance and the reason it was performed. Calpernia is a friend, and while she and I vigorously disagree on the role of drag queens in the transgender community (she spends her professional career in the entertainment industry), we do so respectfully and don’t let it impact our friendship. There was once a time when Democrats and Republicans could disagree and remain friends socially, and when professionalism was common, but these activist attacks today reflect a much less civil culture. I don’t think that reduces me to a “Mr. Wilson” character yelling at kids to get off the lawn. For those who don’t get the Mr. Wilson reference, they probably also didn’t get the pop culture reference in the title, which was honorifically referring to the students by referring to Art Linkletter’s TV program back in the ’50s.

I was also criticized for mentioning Calpernia, in spite of her being the historical linchpin of my thesis about the history of The Vagina Monologues, because of comments that she and others made in reference to my blog post. I believe most columnists and bloggers understand that they are not responsible for the comments of others, and attacking me because of others’ comments is nothing more than guilt by association.

This piece wasn’t about “respecting your elders.” Had the students done their homework, there would be no issue. Had they said the play is too essentialist for their tastes, they could have generated an interesting debate about second- and third-wave feminism, which is important particularly because, as I mentioned, there are second wavers still active in claiming they’d like to exterminate all trans persons. For all I know, students on other campuses have navigated this issue quite successfully, and we don’t know it because they handled it without controversy.

There is the important issue of recognizing the consequences of one’s actions, which came up in my comments about trans men and Planned Parenthood. I don’t care if one wants to talk about “pregnant persons” rather than “pregnant women,” or “reproductive rights” rather than “women’s rights.” Planned Parenthood and NARAL aren’t, in the most literal sense, “women’s organizations,” primarily because there are many men who support the work as well. Do trans men have the right to criticize their language as exclusionary? Of course. Do the organizations have the right to reject the claim? Yes. The point was made to me that no one would be harmed by using more inclusive language. That’s the crux of the matter about consequences. Women’s bodily autonomy is still an explosive and divisive issue in this country. Millions of women are at risk as a result of the actions of those who not only oppose abortion rights but also the use of contraception. Millions of women, yet only dozens of trans men. Demanding a change to the language may be seen as selfish and a distraction to the mission, and those who oppose women’s autonomy may grab hold of it to tar the entire progressive movement, and feminism in particular. We don’t need more of that in this climate. The more rights women have in our society, the more rights pregnant trans men will have. They needn’t be explicitly recognized for that to happen. The same holds for anti-discrimination language. All trans subtypes needn’t be publicly recognized for all to be covered under the category of “gender identity and expression.”

Finally, though I listed a number of specific issues here, I want to repeat that I sense that the underlying problem is the reflexive lashing out due to a sense of personalization, which leads to feelings of victimization. Many, if not most, trans persons have been victimized over the course of their lives. I certainly have, and many times. But I’ve learned to think of myself not as a victim but as a survivor and use that as a source of empowerment. When I feel like responding in the moment, I step back and let my thoughts sit and cool off. Playing the victim card, in whatever manifestation — race card, ethnic card, gay card, etc. — simply doesn’t work in the larger battle of changing hearts and minds. Our successes are evidence of that. Let’s learn to channel what Orlando Figes called, in reference to one of the revolutionary parties in 1917 Russia, the “formless revolutionary spirit of students” and continue to build on the good, and do so in the spirit of what my good friend and trans leader Diego Sanchez recently said with respect to engaging and educating allies, patiently, constructively and respectfully:

“It takes time and trust to enact and honor a Treaty of the Heart among allies.”

Lindsay Lohan is scrambling to finish her community service by Wednesday … because jail is on the line.We’re told Lindsay went to the Community Service Volunteers in London Friday and Saturday, and her plan was to go Sunday … and Monday and Tuesday.…

Lindsay Lohan will use a mosquito defense when her lawyer goes to court next week to announce her client has failed A SECOND TIME to complete her community service … and this could land her in jail, TMZ has learned.Lindsay is due in court Wednesday to…

As part of an effort to make college education as universal and accessible as high school and help students reduce debt, President Obama this week proposed a plan that would make the first two years of community college free for any student “willing…

President Obama today (Jan. 8) announced a proposal to offer the first two years of community college free to “anyone who’s willing to work for it.” Sounds good in theory, but not everyone is convinced that it’s a great idea.

Obama planned to formally announce the plan Friday at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tennessee. He gave a preview in a videotaped message shot aboard Air Force One and posted on Facebook.

“It’s not just for kids,” Obama said. “We also have to make sure that everybody has the opportunity to constantly train themselves for better jobs, better wages, better benefits.”

Obama provided few specifics, and White House and Education Department officials on a conference call with reporters Thursday evening said the funding details would come out later with the president’s budget.

The White House did say that if all states participated, that nine million students could benefit — saving on average $ 3,800 in tuition per year for a full-time student. That means the program could cost in the billions of dollars. In a Republican-led Congress, the proposal likely faces a tough legislative fight to be passed.

“Free Community College” was trending on Twitter and Facebook tonight, which shows that the possibility of affordable education in the U.S. is a conversation long overdue.

See the president’s announcement, and read some of the reactions in the gallery.

Yahoo and Sony Pictures Television announced Monday that the show’s creator, Dan Harmon, will serve as an executive producer for 13 new episodes. The companies say cast members including Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs and Yvette Nicole Brown will come along as the axed NBC show moves online to Yahoo Screen this fall.

In a statement paraphrasing Mark Twain, McHale says reports of the show’s cancellation were “greatly exaggerated.”

“Community” is about a group of friends who come together at a community college with an iffy pedigree. The comedy has loyal followers but too few for NBC, which dropped it from next season’s schedule.

In response to Friday’s news that CBS had pulled the plug on “The Arsenio Hall Show” after one season, former “Community” star Yvette Nicole Brown took to Twitter to share her opinion of what the late-night talk show, and others like it, had meant for her career.

In my five years in the cast of a network comedy @ArsenioHall & @GeorgeLopez were the only late night talk shows couches I was welcomed to.

When other Twitter users pointed out that Brown forgot to mention she had appeared on AMC’s “Talking Dead” and Bravo’s “Watch What Happens: Live” with Andy Cohen, she copped to the omissions. But she noted that “Talking Dead” — a weekly show that airs directly after each episode of “The Walking Dead” — didn’t quite fit the bill of the “daily late night shows” to which her initial tweets had referred.

You had a good run, Greendale. After five seasons of meta-obsession and homages to genres popular and obscure, the Dan Harmon creation that was Community is no more on NBC. After a fifth season that was truly a return to form (following that dreadful — yeah, we said it — season four without its visionary… Read more »News